Death Benefit
"Death Benefit" is the 20th episode of season 3, and the 65th produced hour of Person of Interest. It originally aired on April 15, 2014. Synopsis Reese poses as a Secret Service agent to get close to the latest POI, a U.S. congressman who may hold the key to derailing Decima’s plans to bring a second Machine online. Episode Notes * The episode's title refers to payments made by an insurance policy, the Social Security Administration, or other agencies upon the untimely death of an individual. It also suggests that death can at times be a beneficial rather than an unfortunate event. The Machine's directive to kill McCourt would stop Samaritan from coming online and prevent mass casualties in the future. * Two abbreviations are used in the episode, those being SMS and SEC. SMS stands for short messaging service, and is a text messaging component of phone, web, and mobile communications. SEC, within the government, stands for Security and Exchange Commission, whom Finch blackmails the Congressman with so he will reveal his relationship to Decima. * The Congressman can be considered a COW, or Casualty of War, although he isn't technically dead. The war also refers to the war between the Machine and Samaritan. *Samaritan is able to connect Finch's name to Nathan Ingram, as well as to two of Harold's aliases: Harold Crane and Harold Wren. * The opera Finch was listening to, and which the Congressman was to attend, is Il Trovatore (The Troubador) by Guiseppi Verdi. The opera was first performed in 1853, and is most famous for its easily-recognizable "Anvil Chorus", which is among best known excerpts from opera, and frequently used in film, television and advertising. Production Notes Bloopers and Continuity Errors * After leaving the Beef Consultants Building, a firefight ensues. Although Reese is the one on his side shooting, a bullet strikes the other shooter and then another one hits the ground about 10 feet away from him in the same frame. * When the Congressman says, "I'm not calling off the deal," his mouth clearly says something entirely different. The words are clearly dubbed over his initial statement. Music *"Para La Habana" by Johannes Linstead - during the scene with Root and Shaw in Miami *"Medicine" by Daughter - Ending song Trivia *John Heard, who plays the Congressman of Illinois previously appeared on Prison Break where his character was the Governor of Illinois. In the show, the governor is in the position to grant clemency to an inmate on death row, but ultimately decides not to do it due to his strict policies on crime and the death penalty. *The painting in the scene with Greer and Ross Garrison is Hieronymus Bosch’s The Garden of Earthly Delights. *McCourt's line "The simple truth is, the people want to be protected, they just don't want to know how." was said by Finch to Reese in . * The first clip is an actual CBS report from Illinois, specifically Chicago, and the second is from New York. * Greer confirms Peter Collier is an alias, a detail noticed from the previous episode. * Despite the Machine identifying PRISM as a media decoy for Samaritan, the Congressman still believes that PRISM is functioning. * Reese again mentions his distrust in the Machine, previously mentioning it in . * Reese refuses to leave an injured Shaw behind, something referred to in the military as no man left behind, which is part of the Soldier's Creed. * Virgil mentions the title of the next episode, . *The book on the table in Finch's beef consultant's safe house is "Bartlett's Familiar Quotations (16th edition)" by John Bartlett and Justin Kaplan. *Rachel McCourt has an account with OneState Bank. Quotes *"That bitch tried to kill me. Nice to see her head on the chopping block for a change." (Shaw, to Reese) * "See? Business as usual, even if the government's program is on ice, the machine keeps spitting out numbers." (Shaw, to Reese) * "Northern Lights is effective but compromised by the ethics of its creator, it spoke but never listened. What I have not only listens but obeys, it can find, anyone, anywhere, any time, you merely need to ask." (Greer, to Garrison) * "Obstacles are only obstacles until you move them out of the way." (Greer) * "The Machine is a shield that protects lives." (Finch) * "I think the Machine wants us to kill McCourt." (Reese) *"The simple truth is, the people want to be protected, they just don't want to know how." (McCourt) * "Since we started this, things have changed. We've changed. But the mission, our purpose has always been constant: to save lives. If that's changed somehow, if we're in a place now where the Machine is asking us to commit murder... that's a place I can't go. I'm afraid this is where I get off." (Finch) *"Find me Harold Finch." (Greer) Media References es:Death Benefit Category:Season 3 Category:Episodes Category:Season 3 Episodes Category:Episodes with Multiple Persons of Interest